This was a really fun experience. My boyfriend and I came here on a whim in hopes of getting our Tex-Mex on, and we totally accomplished our mission with better expectations than what we had. First off let me point out that service was great. The girl was prompt and very on top of her game. She didn't keep us waiting for anything which was nice and she made some really good margaritas. I just hate that I don't remember her name for the sake of this review so I could give her a shout out. Our orders - we got two margaritas on the rocks and split a Golden Chimichanga that comes with grilled chicken topped with chile con queso for $9.95. OH. MY. GAWD! This was amazing!! So so good. The chicken was well seasoned and overall full of flavor. My boyfriend had the fried beans, and some of the rice, whereas I took the salad and some rice. We split the sour cream which was delicious mixed with the rice. They put just enough queso on there where it doesn't take away from the flavor of the chiminchanga, but gives just enough to close the deal. If you stock up on chips and salsa before the actual meal, then splitting one meal would be fine. I'd say spend that extra cash on some drinks. The margaritas were really good and a nice size. A tad pricey for what you get, but extremely good quality. I don't think I have any complaints other than the prices are a bit steep from you typical run of the mill Tex-Mex establishments. However, you do get a lot for your buck. This just might turn out to be my go-to Tex-Mex place from here on out. read more

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My go to place for the best steak fajita and tacos. The way they marinate and cook the meat its just amazing read more

This place has orgasmic steak fajitas... and good everything else. Let's hit the high point first: the steak fajitas here are AMAZING. They are unquestionably the best fajitas I have ever had, hands down no contest. They. Are. Amazing. Get them. Problem is, everything else is only okay. The chicken fajitas/shrimp fajitas are nice, but not amazing. The jalapeno poppers are pretty good. The existence of a mariachi band on Sundays is cute, but also pretty weird given the small size of the restaurant. If you want good steak fajitas, this is your place. Who cares about anything else. read more

Yessssssss finally!! A delicious Mexican restaurant. My fiancée and I decided to skip the gym (ughhh) and wanted some margaritas. We looked up this place on yelp and made our way there. We've driven by this restaurant so many times I'm surprised I've never seen it before. We came in and they sat us right away. The waitress was great and even gave us suggestions for what to order. After talking to her I decided to get the steak fajitas with jalapeño poppers for apps. My fiancée ordered the fajita salad in an attempt to eat "healthy". Of course that healthy went out the door with the hugeee margarita we each ordered! The chips and salsa were delicious and the chips came out hot! They first brought out the poppers, which were delicious. They weren't the frozen kind you get at Costco but you can tell they made it themselves. The jalapeño even had some heat to them, which was great. The margaritas came out next and mannnn did it hit the spot. Just when we thought life couldn't get better, I hear this sizzling noise getting closer to me. They plop the hot pan down with the steak, onions, and green peppers. They also give you sour cream, salsa,and guac. I put all of them into the warm tortilla and took a big bite....oh my gahhh the flavors that hit my tongue was foodgasmic. I went to town on these fajitas. I tasted the fajita salad and the flavors were still there! But you could break off the fried tortilla the salad was in and use it as an eatable spoon. I will definitely be coming back here again and do yourselves a favor and get some of that fajita. read more

El Paso Cafe - Steak fajita...hey in ma belly - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Restaurant seems to be extremely popular. I have ordered the fajitas and tacos at this restaurant before and both times the meat was dry each time. The last time I was here we waited about 45 min for our food and about 45 min for the check. It was a full house but to wait that long is pretty ridiculous. The staff was extremely polite. In my opinion if you're looking for Mexican food I would recommend other places. Food was mediocre at best and the restaurant was extremely loud. read more

El Paso Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Ole! Went last night with a friend (we arrived at 6:30 on a Saturday night and were seated right away, but it got crowded FAST) and there was a mix of people on dates, with family (there were a couple of kids) and just out with friends. Terrific and STRONG drinks, great hot chips which arrived on our table right away, and the dinner was great (I had one of the specials which were pork tacos... yum). I can walk from my place, so I am definitely going back, but would drive even if I lived a distance. read more

It's taken so many years of living here, but I think I've found the one - my goto, local Mexican joint! Before its closing, I had to endure my family's frequent visits to the Chevys in Ballston mall. While they were satisfied with their chain restaurant experience, I always knew there was something better out there. I had seen this restaurant whenever heading over to the Popeyes next to it, but had never thought to try it until now. We came here for Sunday lunch and were seated promptly by the door. During our time there, many a party migrated away from us, but the cold never bothered me anyway. Shortly after getting seated, we were served a fresh, hot basket of chips and salsa. Giving me anything free to start always gets me in the right mood and our attentive, friendly server made sure to keep these replenished. This and a large side of guacamole kept us busy until our entrees came. The steak fajitas (cooked to medium) were absolutely delicious. They were tender, juicy and piping hot. Along with them, you get the usual players - rice, pinto beans, pico de gallo and guac. It was more than enough to fill me up. Also tried some of the chicken enchiladas with the green sauce and those were just as good. I only wish they had put some more of the sauce on there, but I'm sure they would have obliged had I asked for some. We weren't done feasting yet. For desert, we tried the Tres Leches cake and Sopapillas. The cake was alright, but was a little too sweet. The latter were fried triangles of doughy goodness covered in cinnamon, sugar and honey with vanilla ice cream / whipped cream on the side. I also couldn't pass up on the happy hour deal of $3 sangria glasses on Sundays. The rest of the specials looked pretty solid too, specifically the live Mariachi on Friday / Sunday nights. Can't wait for the next visit! read more

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This place doesn't come up prominently in an Arlington Mexican restaurant Google search but it should. I am a self-proclaimed Mexican food expert & El Paso Cafe IMO is really good. Clean, friendly service & prompt service despite what I've seen on a few other reviews. I've been multiple times when there appeared to be some sort of military &/or fed govt luncheon...the place (small to begin with) was absolutely jammed but they found a way to seat me & get my order in, food out as if I was the only one there. It's reasonably priced. The only menu item I've had that disappointed was the queso. Kinda flavorless. Otherwise I will continue eating here read more

I had been hearing for a while now that this is the go to place in the area for authentic tex mex. I don't know if it's authentic (I'm from Jersey!) but it was darn good. Made reservations for a Tuesday night dinner at 7 PM with 3 other friends. I probably didn't NEED reservations, but I had never been before, so I figured better to be safe. Just fyi, there's a decent sized parking lot so you shouldn't need to find street parking. As for decor, it's your standard Mexican themed restaurant. Our waiter was very friendly and was prompt with the drinks. I ordered the house margarita, and a few others ordered some drinks too. My friend's beer came in a "boot" shaped glass. Fun?! They also had free chips and salsa. The salsa had a rather smoky flavor and was better than your average free salsa. So far so good. For an appetizer we shared the sampler (which isn't on their online menu I guess). It came with cheese quesadillas, jalapeno poppers, taquitos, and fixins (guac, salsa, sour cream, etc). It was alright - a good thing to share with people but nothing out of the ordinary. For dinner, I ordered the chicken and steak combination fajitas. The chicken was pretty good but the steak was DELICIOUS! I would definitely opt for steak. Plus the serving size was pretty generous. I wasn't shy about eating and still had a bunch of chicken leftover. My friends liked their dishes too (I can't remember what they got.. sorry!). My friend ordered some sort of fried dough thing for dessert which was tasty. And bonus - the manager (?) stopped by to ask us how we liked the food, and gave us all a round of free drinks! I think they were advertising their upcoming tequila tasting. The drink was half tequila and half some sorta kaluha type drink. Whatever it was, it was yummy. The bill came to around $30 a person. Not bad for a fun night out with good food. This place is worth checking out and is better than your average tex mex joint. read more

El Paso Cafe - dessert and after dinner drink - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Straight up racist. Others say the same. I went there to pick up an order that I made on Uber eats. Went to the Uber eats table, confirmed my name and grabbed my bag (same thing a white man did in front of me.) The minority male worker asks me if I paid, I said yes and pulled out my phone and showed my receipt. So I grab my bag and go outside and he follows me outside and claims I was stealing and did not pay. I push back and say I showed you my receipt. I then asked him 4 times if I was a white man if he would have made the same accusation. No response. Lucky for him I know some basic Spanish well. He claimed he could not understand me, so I repeated myself in Spanish, no response. I went into the restaurant and asked for the Manager and she said the male worker was rude. She was nice, but did not offer me an apology or anything etc...she also did not answer my question about if I were a white male etc. I was leaving the restaurant and saw another minority male, he was a delivery man, shared my story and he said, "man they have a reputation. If you are white they will greet you as if you are a king. If you are not, good luck. No eye contact and rudeness." Welcome to 2020 El Paso cafe. All of the workers at your establishment, when I was there, were minorities themselves. Yet they feel the need to perpetuate implicit bias in 2020. Never returning, and I hope others don't visit your bigoted establishment. It's COVID we have real issues to worry about. Educate yourselves. read more

I haven't been here in years, yet I remembered the food being so delicious. Well, not anymore. The prices remained reasonable. Yet the taste declined tremendously, unfortunately. Crowded, hard to find parking in the parking lot, friendly service, but bland bland bland. read more

Food: good. Standard Mexican fare. Full bar, a wide variety of tasty Margaritas, and several south of the border beers. Service: attentive, if stretched a bit thin. read more

El Paso Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

A personal favorite of mine! Best Mexican in the neighborhood. The decor is kitschy fun with a lot of emphasis on George W. Bush's one time visit to the restaurant. The food is always delicious. I love their salsa because it has a nice smokey flavor. The service is very friendly but can be a little slow. On the weekend evenings, they have a mariachi band!! Definitely give this little place a try! read more

El Paso Cafe - Yummy flan - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Great first impression. I have two chain restaurant burrito places walking distance from my home and I was all set to head over to one of them but then I got a craving for a margarita. So Aubs and I decided to give El Paso Cafe a try and we're really glad that we did. Right off the bat, they had all the right indicators of the authentic hole in the wall experience that we were looking for. Not visible from Glebe road, check, mexican style hats on the wall, check, bilingual hostesses, check, bilingual patrons, double check. Not sure if this is beginners luck but we didn't have to wait for a table at 7pm on a saturday. We started with the Texan Margarita thanks to a recommendation from the server. Great lemonlime flavor it was a much needed compliment to our meal. You can get a glass, half pitcher or pitcher. We share a half pitcher. They start you off with chips and salsa, we also added a side of guac. I like guac, Aubs loves guac. I told her shes not legally allowed to marry guacamole. I'm not even sure if that's true. For entrees I got the pershing platter. beef taco al carbon, cheese chile relleno and shredded chicken enchilado. I wasn't really sure what al carbon or chile relleno was but I knew I wanted it. Turns out beef taco al carbon is marinated pieces of flank steak about the size of a chicken nuggets wrapped in a flour tortilla. Chile relleno is a roasted poblano pepper filled with cheese that has the consistancy of a fried egg, the cheese then gets the chile flavor. It was a very delicious surprise. I wouldn't hesitate to order the pershing platter again. Aubs got a shredded beef taco and a shredded chicken taco both came in hard shells with sides of lettuce, tomato, rice and refried bean dip. She enjoyed both but mentioned that in the future she would get two beef tacos. We both loved our meals, and our both loved our drinks. The food here is very reasonably priced, our half pitcher ended up costing the same as our food but hey that's what happens when you choose a restaurant based on margaritas and then you order the good stuff. No complaints here, we'll definitely be back. read more

El Paso Cafe - Texan margarita - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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For a restaurant in this market I really enjoyed El Paso, it's right up the block for me and for a quick bit I'm glad it is. I had the spinach and corn enchiladas which were very good and very filling, my partner had the salmon which offered a very nice sized fillet. They were very friendly and accommodating when we requested substitutions. They had several vegetarian options and overall a fairly extensive menu in terms of both food and drinks. If you're looking for a quiet evening you might want to check the schedule for when the live music mariachi comes in.. read more

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I love this place. This is the best place for Mexican food that I have found in the area. Parking is a little tight, as there are really only about 10-15 parking spaces around the restaurant. When it's busy, your best bet is street parking on Pershing. Inside the restaurant, it is such a festive environment. They have fun music and sometimes a mariachi band. If it's your birthday, you get the privilege of wearing a glittery sombrero and having staff members sing to you. The food is amazing! Their chips are always hot and fresh and the salsa has just enough kick for me. I typically order the enchiladas and they are definitely filling, but so good! Also, you can't go without ordering a margarita. On the night that we went, pitchers were $25, which was a really good deal. I always have a great experience here. I go out of my way and pass multiple other Mexican restaurants to eat at this one because it's worth it. read more

El Paso Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Came here a little after they opened for lunch. There was only one other table in the restaurant at this time... And it was not good service. So, I can't imagine how the service would be if they were any busier! Waitress brought us water after we ordered sodas - she said she needed to change it because it was flat. Took 15 minutes later to get our sodas, still flat so I returned it back and had water. But it wasn't the 15 min I was waiting for on a soda, I was waiting for her to come back so I can order my food! Everything was slow service, kitchen was slow. And I had to remind her to take off the sodas when she gave us the check. *Complimentary corn chips and salsa. *Ceviche - nothing out of the ordinary, however it's a good portion size for an appetizer. *Super Fajitas - the only thing I'd probably come back for. It has a combination of steak, chicken, and baby shrimp. Comes out sizzling and the meats were all flavorful; nothing dry nor bland. Definitely not enough tortilla wraps with a big order, they charge extra for additional wraps. *Fried Chimichanga - meh. Not that great. It's alright, most likely not return unless I crave fajitas. read more

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I love this restaurant. I've never eaten there for I ordered all the time. My favorite is the beef fajitas. read more

Highly recommend make a reservation to be seated faster, but once you are seated the staff is attentive and friendly. Food came out quickly and perfect. The flavors where amazing and would definitely would return to try a different dish. read more

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We were done in. Again everything I said was true. Any honest person would not make up a reason for bad service and quality of food. Waitress must have known food was cold and been sitting there. Stop whining and putting the blame on to something that did not happen. read more

I came to El Paso Cafe to get dinner for tonight. I ordered at 4pm and was told it would be ready in 30-40 minutes. 2 hours later I was still standing there waiting for my food. When we finally got it, it was the wrong order. They took it back and 20 minutes later we received the correct order. Except the bill was nearly $200! They charged us for 4 meals and a large pitcher of a margarita when we only ordered 1 small margarita. They corrected it and gave us the correct bill. Then we noticed our chips and queso was missing. We finally received that after bringing it up to them. That was another 10 minute wait. When we finally got everything and got home, which is only 10 minutes away, the food was soggy, the cheese and the queso dip was hard as if it was not fresh and the margarita tasted terrible. After waiting for 2 hours and receiving that type of service and product I have no plans to go back to this restaurant ever again. Sadly, we did not even receive any type of apology or any comment from the staff there for the wait or poor service. read more

Food was actually very good here. I ended up getting a margarita to go AND on happy hour. I do wish they had Mexican style street tacos however all in all I'd go back! read more

The NCR doesn't lack much. However, the two things it does lack are drivable roads and decent Mexican food. El Paso can't fix the roads, but they can fix your craving for Mexican food!! Great serve, great food, and a friendly atmosphere. I highly recommend you give this spot a chance. read more

El Paso Cafe - Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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I've patronized El Paso for several years for takeout dinners and have been consistently satisfied with the menu, prices and service. But on the last trip, the Pershing Platter was dry, lacking the taste that we've experienced in the past. But, the beef taco was great. Maybe it was an off-night for the rest of the platter. read more

Two meals - one a "2" the other a "4" hence the 3 stars. First, the place is clean and the service is friendly and attentive. 4 stars there. The chips and salsa definitely above average. The "special gold" margaritas are some of the best I've ever had. I will be back just for them. My husband got a traditional Mexican platter - enchilada, taco, rellano. He loved it and thought it ranked among the best he's had in the DC area. I got the grilled shrimp fajitas. The veggies and tortillas were fresh and good, but the shrimp was badly overcooked and very dry. Worth a visit for sure. Great atmosphere and good food. read more

Came here expecting it to be kind of like everywhere else but its definately better. Definately try the bacon wrapped shrimp and steak fajitas if thats your thing. On Sunday the have a live matriarch band that plays for tips thats prettty cool. read more

Absolutely the best Tex-Mex around! Love El Paso so much- they always keep us coming back for more! Fantastic bar, amazing service, and FABULOUS food! read more

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What was thought to be excellent Mexican food turned out to be a mild case of food poisoning. I suspect the melted cheese appetizer had sat too long before being wrapped up for takeout. I suspect I won't be going back any time soon. read more

Licking my chops just thinking about it! Hehe! (But seriously.....) El Paso is the best Tex-Mex in the area. Complete with a mariachi band a couple nights a week, El Paso Cafe has never let us down. Two blocks from home, it's an obvious go-to, & we've never been let down by service or the food. Everyone we've taken loves it! Some of my favorites are the Enchiladas Mixtas, sunken burritos, Golden Chimi Changa, and the various platters! No matter what you choose, I recommend accompanying it with a grande margarita!! read more

We are new to the area and we have ate here twice and take out at least 5 times. The food is great and customer service is fine when dinning in. But the young girls that greet during take out need to work on their customer service. Went today for some chips and salsa and the young lady again mumbled and just had an attitude. It would be nice to be greeted nicely with a smile. I hope her day turns around for the best. read more

El Paso Cafe - Chips and salsa my go to! - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

My boyfriend surprised me for our date night and he knows how much I love fajita and let me just say this was the BEST Tex-Mex place I have ever been to. We got the Plato macho which included steak, grilled chicken, shrimp, & lobster. Every bite was savory and delicious!! The live mariachi was a bonus because I also love live music. Highly recommend!! read more

El Paso Cafe - Plato macho - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

This is my first time to this wonderful Texican restaurant. The staff is awesome and second to none. My fajitas came out perfect and my wife's chimichanga was perfect. We enjoyed a few drinks and I decided to save some money by ordering a pitcher of Juarez Margaritas. It was $53! I am sorry if I sound cheap, but I just came from Kentucky where you would expect a pitcher for $17. I was thinking no more than $35 here in the second of four commonwealths in country. Obviously, that is not the case in Virginia and I will be perfecting my margarita making skills at home. I didn't pull up short on the tip. They received great marks, but I was disappointed on the pricing. I would rate this place at least $$$. There are millions of Mexican restaurants out there, if you decide this is the best, it better not be the $53 pitcher of margaritas! Have an epic day and I will see you on the other side of this god forsaken virus. read more

Cyndy's Bottom Line: Food and service is great! I love the skinny margarita that is on the drink menu in addition to all the other margarita selections! The mariachi band seems too loud and over powering for the space. read more

El Paso Cafe - A skinny margarita - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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I had the pleasure of organizing our office's Happy Hour where I brought everyone out to El Paso! Now mind you, that means a larger table of 7 sitting near the bar, but man did we have a good time! We stayed within the HH food menu (mostly), but did not imbibe from their HH drink specials, instead we upgraded to the $65 pitchers of silver tequila margaritas. After a few hours (and rotations of attendee's) we might have turned into "those people". You know, the loud obnoxious ones that are having a great, boisterous time. Meanwhile our waiter kept us hydrated and happy. What else can I say? WE WILL BE BACK. The only negative is that Happy Hour ends promptly at 6pm. Who can leave work, make it there, and then REALLY enjoy themselves within that short span of time? PLEASE extend HH to 7!!! read more

Became our favorite Mexican spots during COViD to order from. To let you in on a secret, they have jalapeño poppers and they are amazing! They pack the food up well and the fajitas are great! read more

Every time I order from I'm impressed. Disclaimer- I've never eaten onsite, but have ordered pickup and delivery. Each time has been consistently good. The beef for the fajitas is juicy and tender, the papusas are absolutely delicious (can't beat Doña Azucena, but who can?!), and the chips and guac are fresh. we have ordered a variety of dishes and each have been good. I wish they offered salsa with to go orders and a choice of tortillas for the fajitas, but those are small gripes. If you decide to dine in they have made COVID updates to include plastic separations between tables, outdoor seating, distanced tables, and hand sanitizer all around. Overall solid menu options and good service. read more

I have been coming here for quite a while and it is one of my favorite Mexican restaurants for their solid food and the service. The food isn't like exceptional but always dependable and never disappoints. I usually order the slow cook pork tacos with white rice and steamed veggies (they actually come with blacks beans and guacamole but I don't like avocado and don't care for the beans, they charged you $2 for switching to the veggies). I like their house margarita the best and the plátanos maduros (these come with refried beans and sour cream) as an appetizer. I also like their chips and salsa. I have had their tres leches (yummmmmmm!) and their flan de coco. I need to stop thinking of those desserts because now I am craving them! If you like mariachis (Mexican group singing live) they are always there on Fridays and Sundays night. When they are playing it gets pretty loud but it is nice and entertaining. When they are not there it has been pretty quiet and kinda of strange they don't play any kind of music in the background. My husband also likes their food. He usually orders a chimichanga or shrimp wrapped in bacon and fajitas. The servers we have had have always been very pleasant and friendly. I will definitely coming back here to satisfy my Mexican cravings! read more

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Good Mexican food close by... and cheaper than Guapos. Atmosphere: Average - dark and sticky tables but nothing I can't deal with. Certainly is not a 5-star restaurant but again the price is reasonable so no big complaints. Food: This was my third time at El Paso and i have had two good trips and one mediocre. I had the Grilled Fajita Salad this time and it was delicious and big enough to take home and take for lunch. My husband had Chicken flautas two times in a row - this was delicious. Service: Honestly it's a hit or miss. Some days it takes 10 minutes to get a drink some days, it's amazing. Overall: 3.5/5. Get something from the fajita section! read more

El Paso Cafe - Delicious chicken Flautas - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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I love El Paso. It's the best Mexican I've had in the Arlington area. Chips and queso are perfect, and the burritos are amazing too. I've had the steak quesadilla which is great as well. I've actually only ever done uber eats or takeout from here, but I want to dine in some. You know a restaurant is good when it nails takeout! Highly recommend. read more

Favorite Mexican in Arlington- great food and people! I love the veggie chimichanga, the salsa and queso are great, and the margaritas are fantastic. read more